This is Jessica Woolworth.
Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Jessica transferred to Vanguard University and graduated with a bachelor's in accounting and a minor in music. Today, she’s a full-time professor and works in business consulting, specializing in tax. When not working, Jessica travels and wants to visit all seven continents – even Antarctica!
"My Dad was a Foursquare pastor and a marriage family therapist – some of the best advice I heard was from my parents,” says Jessica. “They always encouraged me to study accounting instead of business administration as they thought I had a talent for it.”
After completing her undergraduate degree, Jessica worked for Ronald Blue and Company, a faith-based financial services and CPA firm. During this time, she met her husband, Ty, at Mariners Church. They would eventually marry in Vanguard’s Needham Chapel and have the reception at Mariners.
"The fall festival at Mariners was pushed back because of fires and it happened to be on the same day as our wedding,” shares Jessica. “There were little kids running around in costumes and I remember hearing, 'Look, Mommy, that person is dressed up as a bride,' and thinking, ‘No, it's my actual wedding.’”
Shortly after, Jessica received her MBA from Cal State Fullerton, envisioning working as a professor later in her career. But Vanguard's librarian, Pam Crenshaw, encouraged Jessica to teach as an adjunct and sent her opportunities to apply. Jessica started teaching part time at Golden West College and Vanguard. In May 2019, Vanguard Dean Dr. Mike Wilson asked Jessica to consider applying for a full-time professor of accounting position.
Jessica is now a mom of three, a full-time professor, a licensed certified public accountant, a consultant and working on her doctorate from Grenoble Ecole de Management, a French, graduate business school. Her husband also teaches at Vanguard as an adjunct professor. Vanguard is thankful for Jessica's experience in the field and heart to equip the next generation of accountants with the skills they need to succeed.
“Accounting is like solving a puzzle, and I enjoy that," says Jessica.
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